MANILA, Feb. 19, 2015— Pope Francis has appointed a Filipino archbishop as the new Apostolic Nuncio to Australia.
Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, until now serving as the Apostolic Nuncio to the Democratic Republic of Congo, will replace Archbishop Paul Gallagher, who now serves as the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States.
A native of Naga City, the 67-year old prelate, was ordained priest by the Archdiocese of Caceres in March 1972 and has a Doctorate in Civil and Canon Law.
After taking International Diplomacy at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Service in Rome, he entered the diplomatic service of the Vatican and was named to his first post in 2001 as the Nuncio to Papua New Guinea.
Yllana had also served as Holy See’s diplomatic representative in the Solomon Islands and Pakistan.
In December 2001, he was appointed Nuncio in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands and five years later, to Pakistan.
Nine years later, he was named Apostolic Nuncio for the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Following his appointment yesterday, the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference thanked the Pope and welcomed the Vatican envoy.
“Archbishop Yllana brings wide and diverse experience, great faith and priestly gifts. We assure him of a warm and enthusiastic welcome upon his arrival and service here in Australia,” said Archbishop Denis Hart, ACBC President, in a statement.
Yllana speaks English, Spanish, Italian and French.
There are at least four Filipinos serving as the Pope’s envoy to different countries.
Aside from Yllana, Bohol-native Archbishop Bernardito Auza is currently the Vatican’s permanent representative to the United Nations and Archbishop Osvaldo Padilla, a Cebuano, is the Apostolic Nuncio to Korea. His brother, Archbishop Francisco Padilla, is the Nuncio to Tanzania. (Roy Lagarde/CBCPNews)
